Model of HS 293 A-O Air-to-Surface guided missile.

Model 1:6 scale of Hs 293 A-O, a German rocket boosted glide bomb, c. 1944, scale 1:6.

First used in August 1943, the Hs 293 was the earliest operational guided missile. It was radio-controlled, and steered to the target from the aircraft which dropped it. A flare in the tail was carried so the missile could be easily seen; its liquid-fuel engine (mounted under the body of the missile) fired for only 10 seconds, then the Hs 293 glided to its target at about 500km/hr. Many ships were sunk by Hs 293, though only about 1 in 5 missiles hit the target.